Briefs

Public assured
THE Controller of State of Emergency and Police Comm, David Manning has assured the public that all emergency services will continue to run as normal. “I want people to understand that this state of emergency is a special operation to address the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

Set to fight virus
THE Morobe health authority is set to get K1.9 million from the Australian government to fight Covid-19. The Australian High Commission in a statement said the money would support the authority implement its Covid-19 emergency preparedness and response plan.

Covid-19 training
THE Gulf health authority will start training health workers in the province on Covid-19 response and awareness this week. Acting chief executive officer Ben Bal said they would be flying in all officers in-charge (OICs) of health centres around the province to Kerema for the training. “We will start with the OICs so that they can return to their districts and LLGs and start disseminating awareness and information for their communities.”

PPEs received
The Gulf health authority has received personal protection equipment (PPE) which included gloves, glasses, four boxes for carrying specimens, sanitisers, aprons, surgical and isolation gowns and hand towels. Acting CEO Ben Bal said: “We have distributed these to start off at our health centres and we also gave a couple of face masks and gloves to our policemen and women who are manning the checkpoint at Apanaipi.”

Concern on info
A LOCAL from Hela is concerned that the majority of people living in rural areas cannot access information in relation to the virus. Paias Pape said dissemination of information was still not reaching the majority.

Partners thanked
HEALTH Minister Jelta Wong has acknowledged government agencies, the private sector, development partners, business houses, churches and individuals who have joined hands in the fight against the coronavirus. Wong said the government could not work alone and needed everyone to be part of the fight to stop it from coming into PNG.

Follow instructions
Moresby North-East MP John Kaupa is urging people living in Port Moresby to adhere to the basic instructions and practise social distancing. He said: “Most of our people are living in settlements, and as a cultural norm, we have too much socialising.”

K5.5m for lockdown
Western Governor Taboi Yoto says K5.5 million has been committed to support state of emergency lockdown operations in the province. Yoto said K1.5 million was sourced from the Fly River government health functional grant, with K1 million from the provincial improvement programme and K1 million each from the three districts funds.

Surveillance team
Western Governor Taboi Yoto says: “We have started a joint police and military surveillance on our side of the PNG-Indonesian and Australia borders and every known border crossing point.” Yoto said the common sea and land borders with Australia and Indonesia were danger zones.

K71,000 donated
THE Korean Association in PNG has raised K71,000 to help the country fight coronavirus. “A friend in need is a friend indeed and the Korean Association sincerely wishes fellow Papua New Guineans to use their wisdom to combat the Covid-19 pandemic,” chairman Peter Kang said.